“Yes!” all three girls say in unison.
“But make it a lunch.” Charli points at me. “Lunches seem more low pressure.”
“True.” Jolie nods, and then her phone alarm starts beeping. “Grrr. I have to get to my next class. But say yes to the offer of him watching over you. It’s not creepy, it’s sweet.” She gives Nix a pointed look.
Nix pokes out her tongue in disgust, then starts grinning at me. “I guess it is a sweet offer. If things go bad, he can step in or call you with an ‘emergency’ of some kind.” Her air quotes are cute, and I smile at her, picking up my phone again.
Me: And thanks for the offer of watching out for me, Black Jack. I’ll take you up on that too. Let Paul know I’m free for lunch on Saturday. I have an evening shift at Offside, so it’s the only meal I can do. It’s weird to go on a breakfast date, right?
Black Jack: Lunch it is. I’ll send you the time and place soon.
I send him back a thumbs-up emoji because I’m not sure how else to respond.
My nerves have suddenly gone into chaos, my jittery stomach making it impossible to finish my nachos.
“It could be great,” Nix murmurs, her smile kind.
“It’s going to be amazing.” Jolie tinkles her fingers through the air as she walks away. “Catch you guys later!”
“Byeee,” Charli calls after her, then checks the time. “I should head off in a minute too. I’ve got a study session in the library.”
Nix snorts. “You mean a make-out session with yourboyfriend.”
Charli doesn’t say anything, but her bronze cheeks heat with color as she ignores the comment and glances at her. “You walking that way?”
“No, I’m going to enjoy this sunshine for a bit longer. I’ll see you later.”
“’Kay.Chao, chicas.”
“Bye.” I wave.
“Later, Chuck,” Nix calls after her.
Charli frowns and gives her the finger, making Nix laugh and throw one right back.
I grin and shake my head. “You two are funny.”
“What can I say, I adore that girl. She feels like the closest thing I’ll ever have to a sister.”
“Do you have any siblings?” I ask, suddenly realizing that I don’t know. I haven’t really spoken to her about her family before.
Nix clenches her jaw, sniffing and shaking her head before quickly changing the topic. “So, not to be overly girlish, but… what are you gonna wear for your date?”
I groan, dipping my chin and confessing, “I have no idea.”
CHAPTER 12
TYRELL
Nolan’s a big enough town that there are a variety of places to choose from for lunch. So why the hell Paul chose The Hungry House is beyond me. It’s on the far side of town, near the hospital. Its decor is jarringly bright. We’re talking orange and green, like a monster came in and puked everywhere, and the owners were like, “Yeah, I’m diggin’ it.”
I shift on the shiny vinyl booth seat, my pants making a fart noise that grabs the attention of the table beside me. The little girl spins in her chair, bulging her eyes, then covering her mouth and giggling.
“Kee-Kee. Turn yourself back around. Don’t be rude,” her mother quips before giving me an apologetic smile.
“It was the…” I point at the booth seat, then give up, brushing my fingers through the air.
The mother’s lips twitch as she concentrates back on her kids.
